About Operations Committees

The Canadian Gas Association membership addresses the operational considerations of our business through the Standing Committee on Operations and Safety (SCOS). The SCOS supports members’ achieving operational excellence and enhanced public and worker safety by continuing to share, develop, and implement continuous improvement practices via education, information/data exchange, and experience.

 

Damage Prevention

Every year key services such as natural gas, electricity, cable, water and telecommunications are damaged by excavators who have not determined the location of these services before beginning their work. The Damage Prevention Committee works to:

  • Advance industry damage prevention goals to increase worker and public safety;
  • Support the advocacy of Damage Prevention legislation;
  • Support One Call Centres in their efforts;
  • Promote and share best practices and resources; and
  • Participate actively in the Canadian Common Ground Alliance.

The following are some useful damage prevention resources:

For national information visit: www.canadiancga.com

 

Asset and Integrity Management

By the sharing of information and establishment of common guidelines and tools, the Asset & Integrity Management (AIM) Committee seeks to facilitate continuous improvement and learning at both an industry level and within individual member companies with respect to Asset and Integrity Management. The AIM Committee works to:

  • Raise the profile of asset and integrity management in the natural gas industry and demonstrating leadership in same;
  • Continuously improve, analyze, and report useful metrics;
  • Develop, maintain, and support guidelines and tools related to industry practices in Asset and Integrity Management;
  • Make data-driven recommendations to guide the work of the SCOS; and
  • Promote and share best practices and resources.

 

Health and Safety

The Health and Safety (H&S) Community of Practice exists to enhance and strengthen the safety culture and H&S outcomes for CGA members. The community of practice provides an opportunity for health and safety professionals to learn from one another to advance initiatives that reduce risk to workers, first responders, and the public. The H&S community of practice works to:

  • Continuously improve, analyze, and report useful metrics;
  • Promote and share best practices and resources;
  • Administer the CGA Safety Awards for Excellence program; and
  • Develop useful information products to support first responders.

 

Security

By providing strategic direction and leadership, the Security Strategic Steering (S3) Committee seeks to align and direct all CGA cyber and physical security-related initiatives. It serves as an ad-hoc committee alongside other CGA standing committees. The S3 Committee sets out to:

  • Raise the profile of cyber/physical security in the natural gas industry and demonstrate leadership in same;
  • Direct strategically CGA Cyber Security & Physical Security Task Forces;
  • Coordinate initiatives with stakeholders such as the AGA and Electricity Canada;
  • Monitor cyber/physical security policy/regulatory and threat environments; and
  • Direct internal/external info sharing initiatives (e.g. Downstream Natural Gas Information Sharing and Analysis Centre).

Learn more about CGA’s cyber security initiatives here.

 

Measurement

Measurement of natural gas meters and approval of related measurement equipment is governed by the Electricity and Gas Inspection Act. This is one of the principle pieces of legislation enforced by Measurement Canada. The CGA Measurement & Regulation Committee provides an important mechanism to coordinate industry on various measurement issues, including on regulatory issues. The Measurement & Regulation Committee works to:

  • Provide a coordinating role for operators and manufacturers in respect to various measurement issues;
  • Administer the Round Robin Program which facilitates the standardization of both test-stands and procedures used in the correlation to and maintenance of Local Volumetric Standards (LVS) across Canada;
  • Actively participate in Measurement Canada’s Gas Process Advisory Committee (GPAC), a policy issues resolution;
  • Promote and share best practices and resources among industry members; and
  • Explore joint training initiatives with interested parties including Measurement Canada in an effort to provide supplementary training opportunities and foster ongoing government-industry partnerships.

 

Continuous Improvement

Continuous improvement (CI) has always been paramount to the Canadian Gas Association’s operations initiatives. Through the Continuous Improvement Task Force, the CGA fosters excellence in safety, reliability, environmental protection, and efficiency. The CI Task Force works to:

  • Provide a forum for determining operational best practices among member companies on selected areas of interest;
  • Identify and compile a series of performance metrics;
  • Organize Canadian annual workshops to identify and document leading industry practices; and
  • Administer an industry survey process for quick collection and dissemination of information.

Operations Suppliers Executive Committee

CGA’s Operations Suppliers Executive Committee (OSEC), representing providers of goods and services to the gas energy delivery industry, has developed Site Safety Guidance for workers entering job sites including those under the authority of others.  This guidance is intended to help continue and grow the safety culture of our industry but will always defer to any more stringent safety codes or standards in the jurisdiction they are working in and/or the safety standards of the organization that has authority for the job site.  For further information please contact CGA at info@cga.ca.